Another garden discovery

The blueberry buds are opening-- Now I just need some pollinators. And like the oregano and the thyme, look what else decided to come back from the dead! It's the mint that survived the 8 hour car ride back from Cleveland last summer. We'll be having some nice vanilla mint tea in no time :-)

I finally got to make some pad thai this afternoon. I used the mi fun noodles instead of the thicker version and I used more sweet onion than usual. Also, I chopped some romaine to sub for the bean sprouts. I think it turned out pretty good except that the noodles congealed into one giant mass before I got the leftovers into the refrigerator.

My recipe for Pad Thai (adapted from the Viking Cooking School)
Soak for an hour in warm water: 1 package (about 10-12 oz) rice stick noodles, Mi fun take less time to soak, but make the dish less authentic... and may lead to the aforementioned congealing problem.
Heat on low:
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup tamarind juice
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3/4 cup white sugar
Pan fry:
1 block of extra firm tofu, cut into cubes, in 2 Tbs canola oil
Set it aside after it's browned on all sides
Meanwhile, chop:
2 chicken breast halves into big bite-sized pieces
4 or 5 cloves garlic and half a large yellow onion, coarsely
1 heart of romaine. (start from the base and cut rings about 1/2-inch thick)
1/3 cup preserved raddish (optional)
Stirfry: the onion, garlic, veggies and chicken in 3 Tbs oil with crushed red pepper flakes and paprika to taste (I like it hot) Once it smells good, add the sauce mixture.
When the chicken is cooked through, add the softened noodles and cook until the sample you scoop into your mouth with chopsticks has the desired tenderness. Stir in the tofu and small bunch of chopped green onions and transfer the pad thai to a serving dish.
Garnish: Chopped peanuts, more green onion, and fresh lime wedges